How High Performing Partners Are Succeeding in Today’s Industry

What does success look like in today’s fast-changing technology landscape? During this session at the 2025 Sandler Partners National Summit, four standout Partners took the stage to share real-world examples of how they’ve turned connections, expertise, and persistence into meaningful customer wins.

Moderated by Mark Phaneuf, Senior Vice President, East Regions and Ryan Yakos, Senior Vice President, Channel – Midwest, the panel featured Colin Johnston (Techchieva), Eric Ludwig (Rise Technology Advisors), and Paul Cooney (Defensive Networks)—each highlighting a unique approach to building trust, demonstrating authority, and creating lasting value with customers.

Highlights from the session included:

  • Relationships Build Opportunity: Colin Johnston showed how a simple outreach video turned a small internet deal into a major Managed Services partnership through consistency and communication
  • Lead with Authenticity: Credibility grows from genuine relationships—focusing on helping, not selling
  • Turn Insight into Process: Eric Ludwig shared how using frameworks (like MoSCoW) and collaboration transforms complex opportunities into strategic wins
  • Stay Engaged and Add Value: Paul Cooney proved that consistent communication and project management turn challenges into lasting, multi-solution success

The key takeaway: Top-performing Partners don’t just sell—they build influence. Through trust, consistency, and customer-first thinking, they turn every interaction into an opportunity for growth and long-term success.

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The Sandler Partners National Summit

The annual Sandler Partners National Summit is the largest independent technology community channel event held each year. It brings together Partners from across the US and Canada – influential leaders, and Providers  – sharing information on solutions, selling approaches, and personal development. The atmosphere is always energetic, reinforcing the family “safe home” reputation Sandler Partners has developed over two decades. While other TSDs may focus on private equity plays, Sandler Partners continues to help solve problems that encourage trust, deeper long-term customer relationships, and ultimately success.